This invention relates generally to computer systems. More specifically to a method and apparatus for adding functionality to a computer system.
Computer systems have developed over time from simple computing devices to systems capable of performing a great number and variety of tasks. Computer systems are no longer relegated to simply acting as large calculators or glorified word processors. Computer systems perform complicated tasks related to audio, video, data acquisition and signal processing, as well as other processing functions.
Computer systems pay the price of added functionality in terms of added complexity. Typically, in prior art systems, adding new processing functionality generally requires adding supporting structures, adapters, buses and software. Additionally, the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system often times bears the burden of supporting the added functionality.
This is especially true of portable computing systems. Portable computers now permeate our society offering many of the computational functionalities of desktop computer systems. However, many problems exist with adding further processing functionality to a portable computer system. For example, space, power consumption, overburdening the CPU and implementation costs are a few of the problems related to adding processing functionality to a portable computer.
Therefore, a demand exists for improved ways to add processing functionality to a computer system, especially portable computer systems, without overburdening the CPU or requiring specialized structures, adapters, buses and software.